Signal for automobiles



NOV 26, 1929. c. R. sAFFoLD ET AL 1,737,546

SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 17. 1927 2 Shee-t$-$heet 1 Nov. 26, 1929.

C. R. SAFFOLD ET AL SIGNAL FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 17. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNITED STAT-Es PATENT oFF-ics CARL R- S'A-FFOID, 0F BUFFALO, AND HERMAN 01- F'- TAUFFENER 0.35, KENMO-RE,

NEW YORK,` ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, QF CINE-THTRD TO. MLISS MEANS.

DOI-D AND TWO-TBDS TO DQNALD T. 13.01130, 30TH 03E" BUFF A110.,- NEW YORK.

SIGNAL ron AUTOMOBILES Appli-cation led March 117, 1927. ASerial* No. 176,205.

Our invention relates in general to. signals. for automobiles and particularly to. that type of signals used to indicate thelintension of the operator of the car to. make a turn.

The principal object of our invention has been to provide a signal which is particularly adapted to enclosedV cars and which may be easily and conveniently operated from the interior ofthe car.

Another object has been to provide a signaling device having an electric light which is intermittently illuminated' as the signal is being operated. f

Moreover, ourdevice is of such a nature that it may be used as a parking light when so desired.

Furthermore, our device is simple in strueture andY so designed that it shall give long service without gettingy out of order.

The above objects and advantages have. been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which Fig. 1 shows a fragmentary portion of the interior of an enclosed car with our device attached thereto.

Fig. 2 shows a fragmentary, side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged, sectional view, taken'on line 3-3 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional, plan view, 4taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 5'.

Fig. 5 is a transverse, sectional elevation, taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows a fragmentary, enlarged, sec. tional view of the contact rod.

Our device comprises an outer casing 1,0, preferably square-shaped in cross-section. This casing is secured to the outs-ide of the car by means of suitable clamping' screws 1l shown in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2. Slid-v ably arranged within the casing 10 is a circular tube 12. This tube is slidably mounted within a head 13 secured Within the outer' end of the casing 10. To the inner end of the tube 12 is secured a sliding head 14, which is, of course, square-shaped in contour, thus preventing the rotation of the tube 12 within the casing. An indicating element 15 is ai'T ranged at the outer end of the tube 12 and 1s preferably arrow-shaped in form. The inem.-

ber is provided in both sides with an opening 16, into each of which a colored glass 17; is secured by any suitable means. The glasses are preferably of orange and red, the red glass being arranged at that side ofthe meniber which faces the rear of the car.

A helical spring 20 is arranged about the outside .of the tube 12, havin-g one of its ends bearing against the stationary head 13 and the other of its ends against the sliding head 14. This spring serves to keep the indicating element in its normal, retracted position, and to. return it to such position after it has been operated and when released. A control wire 21 is provided whereby the tube 12 may be operated. The inner end of this wire is 'secured within an aperture formed in the slid-. ing head 14 as clearly shown in Fig. 4. The control wire is` preferably passed along the interior of the casing 10 in o ne corner thereof and emerges through a spout 22 near theV outer end of the easing 10. The spout is secured to the casing in any suitable way and is curved so. as t0 provide a smooth guide for the wire.

The control wire 21is attached to operating lever 25.. y This lever is pivotally carried by a bracket 26 which is secured any convenient place on the interior of the car. In Figs. 1 and 2 this lever is shown as being secured to the studding immediately behind the windshield. The bracket is formed with inclined surfaces 27 starting frointhe point where the lever is pivotally connected thereto and these surfaces are engaged by a pin 28, carried by the operating lever 25, when the lever is in its extreme positions. Provision is made for holding the operating lever 25 in an intermediate position, when it is desired to use our device as a par-king light. A detent arm 29 is carriedv by the bracket 2G, and preferably pivotally secured by means of one of the screws which fastens the bracket in place. This detent arm is provided with a notched surface 3() in its outer end, and when this notched surface is brought into registration with the pin 28, the Operating lever will be held in substantially the intermediate position shown in ,dotted lilies in Fig, 2 Wllll inthis position the indicating element 15 will CII be held in the intermediate dotted line position of Fig. 1. The control wire 21 is secured by any suitable means to the operating lever 25 near the outer end thereof, and a handle 31 is provided at the extreme end of the lever for operating the same.

An electric light socket 35 is secured inthe outer end of the tube 12, and an electric bulb 3G is carried by this socket. This bulb is, of course, arranged between the colored glasses 17, and projects itslight in both directions. As is customary in single contact electric lamps, one side of the lamp 36 is grounded to the tube 12, while the other side contacts with a spring plunger connected to the Contact screw 87. This spring plunger forms a part of a standard article of manufacture and is therefore not shown or further described.

A stationary head 38 is arranged in the inner end of the casing 10. This head is provided with a centrally arranged insulated bushing 39 through which the core 40 of a contact rod 41 passes. This contact rod extends within the tube 12 a considerable distance and it is slidably mounted in an insulating bushing 42 carried at the inner end ofthe tube 12. This contact rod is made up preferably of sections of alternate metallic sleeves 43 and in sulating sleeves 44. These sleeves are held upon the core 4() of the rod by a head 45 at the outer end of the core and by a nut 46 at the inner end thereof. Nuts 47 arranged at the extreme inner end serve to securely hold the core'within the bushing 39 and to attach an electric lead 48 to the core.

Arranged within the tube 12 and carried by the insulating bushing 42 is a Contact spring 50.. This contact spring is arranged to have sliding contact alternately with the insulated sleeves 44 and metallic sleeves 43 forming a part of the contact rod, as the tube 12 is moved to its outward position. A lead 51 connects the contact screw 37 at the electric light end of the tube with the Contact spring 50. A. bumper 52 of resilient material is carried at the inner end of the Contact rod and serves to absorb the impact of the tube 12 when it 'is being retracted by the helical spring V20.

rlhe casing 10 is of course grounded to the car, and it will be obvious that when the operating lever 25 is moved from the full line position shown in Fig. 2 to the lower dotted line position in the same ligure, the tube 12 will be operated and moved outwardly. Since the contact rod 41 is held stationarily by the casing 10, the contact spring will move along the contact rod and make contacts successively with the alternately arranged insulated sleeves 44 and metallic sleeves V43. Villien the spring is in contact with a metallic sleeve, current will pass from the lead 48 through the core 40, metallic contact sleeve 43, wire 51, contact screw 37, and thence to the electric light '36 and back through the grounded part of the light to the tube 12 and casing 10. It will be obvious that since the insulating and metallic sleeves 44 and 43 are alternately arranged, the light will be intermittently illuminated until the tube 12 has reached its maximum outer position, and the operating arm has reached the lower maximum position as, shown by the dotted lines in Fig.` 1. When the operating arm is moved to this position, it will be clear that the control wire 21 will have passed the pivotal point of the operating arm, and the arm will be held inthis position without the assistance of the driver of the car until it is manually released. lVhen the operating arm is manually released the helical spring 20 will serve to return the tube 12 to its normal. inward position and also the arm 25 to the full line position shown in Fig. 2. l/Vhen it is desired to use our device for parking purposes, the operating arm is moved only to a point where the contact spring will make contact with the first of the metallic sleeves 43, and the detent arm 29 moved to contact with the pin 28 carried by the operating arm, so as to hold the same in substantially the intermediate dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. i l

Vhile We have shown and described a control wire and an operating arm for moving the tube 12, it is `obvious that other means may be employed to actuate this tube as, for instance, a rack and pinion operated by an electric motor.

These and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made without departing from the spirit of our in vention or the scope of the appended claims, and we do not, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and de scribed, the form shown being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A vehicle signal comprising a casing, means for securing the casing to a suitable part of the vehicle, a slidable tube within the casing, an indicating element, having an electric light, carried at the outer. end of the tube, a sourceof electrical energy, means for operating the tube, and contact meanscomprising a rod extending into the slidable tube and insulated from the casing, a plurality of contact sections and a plurality of alternately arranged insulated sections formed on the rod, and a contact spring carried by the tube and engageable with the contact sections of the rod, whereby the light will be intermittently illuminated during the operation of the tube.

2. A vehicle signal comprising a casing, means for securing the casing to a suitable part of the vehicle, a slidable tube within the casing, a bearing head for the tube carried at the outer end of the casing, a sliding head carried by the inner end of the tube and eniso g'ageable with the casing, means for moving the tube outwardly relative to the casing', a helical spring mounted about the tube and in engagement with the bearing head and the sliding head, an indicating element, having an electric light, carried at the outer end of the tube, a source of electrical energy, and contact means Comprising a rod extending into the slidable tube and insulated from the casing, a plurality of Contact sections and a plurality of alternately arranged insulated sections formed on the rod, and a Contact spring carried by the tube and engageable With the Contact sections of the rod, whereby the light Will be intermittently illuminated during the operation of the tube.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto signed our names.

CARL R. SAFFOLD. HERMAN O. F. TAUFFENER. 

